Small business owners are feeling pressure as the new report shows a disconnection between marketing efforts and confidence in its effectiveness. The 2025 Small Business of Constant Contact thinks that the number of small and medium -sized companies (SMBs) is now precious despite the increase in investment and the adoption of modern marketing strategies.
18%of SMBs reported “very confident” for the results of marketing efforts worldwide worldwide, which has been significantly reduced from 27%of the previous year. This problem trend indifies that businesses have more time, energy and resources for marketing, but many are still having difficulty due to the basic problems of measuring success.
Smita Wadhawan, the chief marketing director of Constant Contact, said, “Small business is under pressure to see positive results in marketing, but many people do not do more and do more.” They are working hard at any time, but without data to guide time, expertise or data to guide you. Many people are still guessing whether they will resonate with their customers. «
SMB has always made marketing efforts as economic problems increase and consumer expectations change. In particular, 44%reports that emails in 2024 are the most effective channels in 23%. This emphasizes the remarkable shifts that are attempted to reach customers even if new technology gets traction and returns to a true way.
The adoption of technology, especially artificial intelligence and video, is increasing among small companies. Almost half of the SMB uses AI in various aspects of marketing, from writing email copy to data analysis. The business that uses the AI report has improved performance indicators, especially in email marketing and social media campaigns. In addition, 78%of SMBs are integrating video into marketing strategies, utilizing formats such as customer evaluation and promotional content.
But not everything is a smooth voyage. Many SMBs cite data personal information protection and trust in AI creation content as major concerns, and 35%and 31%are afraid of this aspect, respectively. Anxiety over data security and brand consistency is difficult for the owner who integrates AI into a marketing plan.
This report shows strong dependence on emails and increased technology, but finds significant obstacles. For example, 42%of SMBs take less than an hour a day to commit marketing. This time constraints can make it more difficult for the owner to measure the campaign effect and to adapt quickly to the effect.
Economic pressure also forms marketing decisions. Much of the SMBS is pointed out as a major task that affects the operating strategy of cost and tariffs. In fact, 44%cite the increase in product costs as the top interest, and has a lot of negative impacts due to changes in trade policy. For example, in Canada, almost half of small companies raised prices in response to these economic problems.
The landscape varies from country to country. British SMEs show the best confidence in marketing, 22%of respondents feel “very confident” and US companies are more likely to express their questions about efficacy. This difference shows a subtle global outlook that plays an important role in forming small business feelings.
For small business owners, the meaning of these results is clear. Investing in effective marketing strategies (especially email use and video integration) has the benefits of yield, but additional resources or expert guidelines may be required to build trust in these efforts. Searching for AI tools can alleviate some tasks, but you need a careful approach to ensure brand integrity and data security.
In order to explore the complexity of the current marketing trend, small businesses can consider creating customized strategies using data analysis and professional advice. Understanding customer behavior and market trends will be important as it maintains agility in uncertainty, but continues to pursue growth in evolving challenges.
To get more insights in the report, you can access the whole result in the official blog of Constant Contact. here.
Image through Envanto
